Disabled List

Steve Tolleson was in full uniform before Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Angels, waiting for the lineup to be posted, until he was called into Orioles manager Buck Showalter 's office. Minutes later, he was packing his equipment to head back to Triple-A Norfolk and changing into street clothes. Tolleson was Wednesday's roster casualty, optioned to Norfolk before the game to make space for right-handed reliever Matt Lindstrom , who was activated form the 15-day disabled list after missing time with a right middle finger injury.

Orioles reliever Matt Lindstrom has to wait one more day to come off the disabled list as the club reshuffles its pitching staff. Lindstrom, fresh off a scoreless, one-inning outing at Double-A Bowie on Sunday, was back in the Orioles clubhouse Tuesday, hoping doctors would clear him to pitch. But Lindstrom, who has been on the disabled list since May 11 with a partially torn ligament in his right finger, was not activated despite feeling healthy. The original belief was that he would come off the DL when lefty Dana Eveland was placed on paternity leave Tuesday.

Left-hander Zach Britton, who led the Orioles in wins as a rookie last season, has mostly struggled in three previous starts at Triple-A Norfolk. But on Thursday, Britton took a significant step toward rejoining the Orioles' starting rotation, turning in his best Triple-A performance this season. Britton issued his first quality start in four starts with the Tides, allowing just two runs on three hits over six innings in a 5-3 win against Buffalo. Britton also struck out five, the most he's had in a game since joining the Tides, and issued two walks.

Orioles reliever Matt Lindstrom, who has been on the disabled list since May 11 with a partially torn ligament in his right middle finger, will pitch two innings at Double-A Bowie on Friday and one inning on Sunday as part of his minor-league rehab stint. If everything goes well, Lindstrom could be activated from the DL as early as Tuesday, when the Orioles host the Los Angeles Angels for two games. Lindstrom, who had a 1.29 ERA in 13 games for the Orioles, allowed one run on two hits in one inning pitched Wednesday for the short-season Class-A Gulf Coast League club.

With interleague play looming and a need for a flexible bench paramount, the Orioles decided to place outfielder Endy Chavez on the disabled list and call back infielder/outfielder Steve Tolleson, who was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday. Chavez left Tuesday's game in the sixth inning with a right hamstring strain. He was hoping it would only take a few days to heal, but the Orioles couldn't wait with games at Atlanta and the New York Mets on the horizon. “I feel pretty close, but I have to understand where the team is right now, and they had to make a move,” said Chavez, who had missed three weeks in May with a left oblique strain.

Orioles optioned infielder Steve Tolleson to Triple-A Norfolk and moved Nolan Reimold from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list Tuesday to make room for Brian Roberts on the 25-man and 40-man rosters. Tolleson batted .237 in 12 games for the Orioles. He had two homers and 6 RBIs in 38 at-bats, but his three-run homer on Sunday against Philadelphia Phillies ace Cliff Lee won't soon be forgotten by Orioles fans. Reimold, who is on the disabled list with a bulging disk in his neck, has not played since April 30. He now cannot be activated until June 30, but considering he is still dealing with lingering weakness and has not done baseball activities, he is still several weeks away from returning.

Barring a last-minute setback, all indications are that Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts will be activated from the 60-day disabled list Tuesday before the club's three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Camden Yards. Roberts' 20-day minor league rehab assignment window closes Monday, and he likely played his final rehab game Sunday, going 0-for-4 for Triple-A Norfolk in a 4-2 loss at Buffalo. Roberts, who hasn't played in a major league game since May 16, 2011 because of concussion symptoms, hit .238 (10-for-42)

The Orioles have reinstated pitcher Zach Britton from the 60-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk.  Britton has been on the disabled list since March with a shoulder impingement. He now will be reinstated to the 40-man roster. To make room for Britton, right-hander Stu Pomeranz was placed on the 60-day disabled list due to an oblique tear. Britton made one of three rehab starts with Norfolk, allowing seven hits and four earned runs in six innings. Britton being optioned means he can't come to majors for 10 days unless there is an injury.

Though it certainly must seem longer, it was just a couple of weeks ago that everyone was drawing comparisons between the surprising Orioles of 2012 and the team that enchanted Baltimore during the magical "Why Not?" season of 1989. Now, that's starting to feel like a cruel joke. The Orioles appear to be in full retreat after a two-week slump that has knocked them off the top of the American League East standings and still threatens to send them quickly to the bottom of their tightly packed division.

As his Orioles teammates packed their bags and headed to Boston to try to revive the team's nine-game roadtrip against the AL East, centerfielder Adam Jones was getting X-rays done on his right wrist down the hall. Jones, the team's best player this season and the recipient of a six-year, $85.5 million contract extension a week ago, felt soreness in his wrist during Sunday's 8-4 loss to Tampa Bay. X-rays following the game were negative, but Jones will remain in Tampa Bay overnight for an MRI on Monday.